How to Deal with Mistakes in Council Tax

Mistakes happen. An accidental driving offence, a forgotten bill, a mislaid letter; on both sides, things can go wrong and whilst these situations can also escalate and get out of control, there are examples where such situations may be contained.

In a recent article published by the Islington gazette, a couple were shocked to find bailiffs at their door that had come to take away their car. Not because they hadn’t paid a debt or a bill, not because they’d forgotten their tax but because of a £60 driving fine for driving the wrong way through a width restriction back in March. Michelle Holton, the apparent offender, explains that she never received a ticket, and quite rightly points out that if she had known about it, she wouldn’t have let the £60 fine turn into a £500 one. The council claims that whilst letters were sent, there is a chance that they may have been lost. These things happen, hey?

These sorts of situations are a headache. Nobody wants to have beefy bailiffs turning up at their door a week or two before Christmas demanding £500 but the upside of the scenario is, that conditions like this can be resolved simply. Council Tax Advisors are able to negotiate with councils and bailiffs over these sorts of situations where a simple misunderstanding or mishap has been the cause of increased financial issues.

Immediate action is the best approach for these situations too; delaying the process can only do two things – primarily, and most importantly, it will show that you’re not the type of person that likes to see debts resolved, secondly it increases the chance of negotiations failing. A quick call to Council Tax Advisors can get the ball rolling.

So, mistakes do happen, but it isn’t the end of the world if you act swiftly; if you’ve accrued a penalty of some variety, try to get it paid off quickly before the situation gets out of hand; if it is a misunderstanding, attempt contacting the relevant creditors in order to resolve the situation, alternatively you can call Council Tax Advisors who are specialists and negotiating debt management schemes and debt misunderstandings.

Ultimately, remember that whilst it might be an inconvenience, these things do happen. And it is the way that we deal with these situations, not the situations themselves that pave our future.

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